---
name: "oomkill-bpfcc"
section: "8"
platform: "linux"
package: "bpfcc-tools"
version: "0.31.0+ds-7"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/oomkill-bpfcc"
---

# oomkill-bpfcc(8)

Trace oom\_kill\_process(). Uses Linux eBPF/bcc.

## NAME

oomkill - Trace oom\_kill\_process(). Uses Linux eBPF/bcc.

## SYNOPSIS

**oomkill**

## DESCRIPTION

This traces the kernel out-of-memory killer, and prints basic details, including the system load averages at the time of the OOM kill. This can provide more context on the system state at the time: was it getting busier or steady, based on the load averages? This tool may also be useful to customize for investigations; for example, by adding other task\_struct details at the time of OOM.

This program is also a basic example of eBPF/bcc.

Since this uses BPF, only the root user can use this tool.

## REQUIREMENTS

CONFIG\_BPF and bcc.

## EXAMPLES

- Trace OOM kill events:

  \# **oomkill**

## FIELDS

- Triggered by ...

  The process ID and process name of the task that was running when another task was OOM killed.

- OOM kill of ...

  The process ID and name of the target process that was OOM killed.

- loadavg

  Contents of /proc/loadavg. The first three numbers are 1, 5, and 15 minute load averages (where the average is an exponentially damped moving sum, and those numbers are constants in the equation); then there is the number of running tasks, a slash, and the total number of tasks; and then the last number is the last PID to be created.

## OVERHEAD

Negligible.

## SOURCE

This is from bcc.

-

  https://github.com/iovisor/bcc

Also look in the bcc distribution for a companion \_examples.txt file containing example usage, output, and commentary for this tool.

## OS

Linux

## STABILITY

Unstable - in development.

## AUTHOR

Brendan Gregg

## SEE ALSO

memleak(8)